Removable gripping device which does not require the user to alter his/her grip thereon

ABSTRACT

A removable gripping device for a container has two clamp-forming members which are mounted to a gripping body, one of which can move longitudinally between an open position and a closed position; movement elements which are designed to move the aforementioned mobile member; and actuation devices which can move in relation to the gripping body. The above-mentioned actuation devices are mounted so as to move longitudinally between a rest position and an actuation position, whereby the actuation devices cause a lever to move from the retracted position to the deployed position thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a removable gripping device for a container,particularly a removable handle for a pot or a pan, that can be removedwithout the user needing to alter his/her grip.

A removable gripping device for a container of the type comprising twomembers forming a gripper mounted on a gripping body is known, in whichone of the members forming the gripper is free to move in translationwith respect to the gripping body, along a direction approximatelyparallel to the longitudinal direction of the gripping body between anopen position and a closed position in which the members forming agripper are adapted to grip an edge of the container, the removablegripping device comprising displacement means adapted to displacingmembers forming the gripper with respect to each other, saiddisplacement means comprising a lever free to move in rotation withrespect to the gripping body between an extended position and aretracted position in which the mobile member forming a gripper is inthe closed position, and a transmission means extending between thelever and the mobile member forming a gripper adapted to displacing themobile member forming a gripper in translation when the lever ispivoted, the removable gripping device comprising actuation means forextension of the lever.

Such removable gripping devices are described in patent applications FR2 739 772 and FR 2 768 914.

However, when the user wants to release the container from a removablegripping device according to prior art, he needs to alter his grip:rotation of the lever to the extended position caused by activation ofthe actuation means is hindered by the presence of the fingers or thepalm of the hand, and this presence is necessary to impose a backpressure on the gripping body so that the actuation means can beactivated by pressure applied by the thumb along a directionapproximately normal to the longitudinal direction of the gripping body.

The problem that arises is to make a removable gripping device in whichthe actuation means are arranged such that the user can manipulate themand move the lever from its retracted position to its extended positionwithout needing to alter his grip, which makes it easier to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The solution proposed to this problem is a gripping device of the typementioned above, in which the actuation means are separate from thedisplacement means and are installed in translation on the gripping bodyalong a direction approximately parallel to the longitudinal directionof the gripping body between a rest position and an actuation positionin which the actuation means move the lever from its retracted positionto its extended position.

Since the actuation means are free to move along a directionapproximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the grippingbody, no back pressure is necessary and the user can release the leverwhile maintaining sufficient minimum grasp to support the gripping body.

According to one particular embodiment, the actuation means in the restposition are closer to the members forming a gripper than they are inthe actuation position.

With this arrangement, to manipulate actuation means, the user must movethe members forming a gripper away from the actuation means by bendinghis thumb. Since this maneuver is less natural than pushing theactuation means and bringing them towards the members forming a gripper,this considerably reduces the risks of the lever being extendedaccidentally.

According to another particular embodiment, the actuation means in therest position are adapted to lock the lever in the retracted position.

Locking the lever in its retracted position in this manner prevents themembers forming the gripper from being opened, even if the user suddenlymanipulates the gripping device, and even if, when the members formingthe gripper are in the closed position, the displacement means are closeto the equilibrium position from which the members forming the gripperare moved towards their open position.

According to another particular embodiment, the gripping devicecomprises a shaft about which the lever and transmission means arehinged, the shaft means being located close to the end of the leveropposite the end at which the lever is connected to the gripping body,and being free to move in translation in a slit made in the transmissionmeans close to the end of the transmission means opposite the end atwhich the transmission means is connected to the mobile member forming agripper.

With this particular arrangement of displacement means, the grippingdevice can dependably grip the edges of the container with a thicknessvariable within a relatively large range of between 0.5 and 3.5 mm(corresponding approximately to the movement amplitude of the shaft inthe slit).

According to another embodiment, the lever and the transmission meansare short, so that the user always has space to hold the gripping bodywith his ring finger and his little finger, only the index and themiddle finger being located at the lever, and so that it reduces themovement amplitude of the lever.

According to another particular arrangement, a coil spring housed in thetransmission means is used as an elastic means of the toggle jointmechanism. Consequently, unlike gripping devices according to prior artcomprising a leaf spring forming a connecting rod, there is no risk ofdamage when the edge of the gripped container is thick.

The small moving amplitude of the lever means that the lever and thetransmission means may have vertical walls arranged such that even whenthe lever is in the extended position, the entire mechanism is concealedand protected from any dirt accumulation.

Other special features of the invention will become clearer afterreading the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended figures given as a non-limitative example:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a removable gripping deviceaccording to this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a removable grippingdevice, with the members forming the gripper in the closed position.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a removable gripping device,the members forming the gripper being in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a removable gripping device 1 for a container(for example a removable handle for a pot or pan) comprises a grippingbody 2 on which two members forming a gripper 3, 4 are formed.

A first member forming a gripper 3 is fixed to one end of the grippingbody 2, and the second member forming a gripper 4 is installed free tomove in translation with respect to the gripping body 2, between an openposition (FIG. 3) and a closed position (FIG. 2).

The mobile member forming a gripper 4 comprises a gripping end 5 whichis adapted to cooperate with the fixed member forming a gripper 3, togrip an edge of the container when the mobile member forming a gripper 4is in the closed position.

In this embodiment, the fixed member forming a gripper 3 and thegripping end 5 of the mobile member forming a gripper 4 are shaped so asto be able to grip containers for which the upper end of the edge iscurved outwards and thus forms a short curved collar.

An opening spring 10 bears in contact with the gripping body 2 and abearing end 11 of the mobile member forming a gripper 4 opposite thegripping end 5, and permanently tends to move the mobile member formingthe gripper 4 towards its open position.

The removable gripping device 1 comprises displacement means 6 that areadapted to move the mobile device forming a gripper 4 with respect tothe gripping body 2.

These displacement means 6 comprise a lever 7 installed free to move inrotation about a rotation axis 8 with respect to the gripping body 2between an extended position (FIG. 3) and a retracted position (FIG. 2).The rotation axis 8 is normal to the longitudinal direction of thegripping body 2 and is located close to the fixed member forming thegripper 3 and close to a first end of the lever 7.

In this example, when the lever 7 is in its retracted position, it iscompletely within the gripping body so that the user cannot manipulateit.

When the lever 7 is in the extended position, the mobile member forminga gripper 4 is in the open position, and when it is in the retractedposition, the mobile member forming a gripper 4 is in the closedposition.

The displacement means 6 also include a transmission means 9 thatextends between the lever 7 and the mobile member forming a gripper 4and that is adapted to moving the mobile member forming a gripper 4 intranslation when the lever 7 is pivoted.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transmission means 9 isa connecting rod 9 and the displacement means 6 are arranged as a togglejoint: the displacement means 6 are shaped such that the lever 7 is in astable equilibrium position when it is in the extended position and whenit is in the retracted position, and it passes through an unstableequilibrium position (defined by the equilibrium line of thedisplacement means 6) when it passes from one of these two stableequilibrium positions to the other.

Compared with the mobile member forming a gripper 4, the connecting rod9 is free to rotate about a pivot axis 12 adjacent to the bearing end 11of the mobile member forming a gripper 4 and adjacent to a first end ofthe connecting rod 9.

The connecting rod 9 is free to move in rotation with respect to thelever 7, about a shaft 13. The shaft 13 is free to move in translationin a slit 14 made in the connecting rod 9 and that extends in thelongitudinal direction of the connecting rod, in order to maintain therelation as a toggle joint. The shaft 13 is free to move between anunstable equilibrium position in which the shaft 13 is located on theequilibrium line of the toggle joint mechanism defined by the rotationaxis 8 and the pivot axis 12 and a stable equilibrium position in whichthe lever 7 is either in its extended position (the shaft 13 being onthe so-called open side of the equilibrium line), or in its retractedposition (the shaft 13 being located on the so-called closed side of theequilibrium line).

A toggle joint spring 15 permanently tends to move the shaft 13 towardsits stable equilibrium position.

When the shaft 13 is located on the open side of the equilibrium line,the opening spring 10 firstly tends to move the mobile member forming agripper 4 towards its open position, and secondly to move the lever 7towards its extended position through the connecting rod 9.

When the shaft 13 is located on the closed side of the equilibrium line,the opening spring 10 tends to move the lever 7 towards its retractedposition, and firstly forces the lever 7 into contact with the grippingbody 2, and secondly forces the connecting rod 9 into contact with themobile member forming a gripper 4, the toggle joint spring 15 beingoriented along a direction very close to the direction of the openingspring 10. Consequently, the toggle joint spring 15 that tends to movethe shaft 13 towards its equilibrium position, imposes a translation onthe mobile member forming the gripper 4 towards its closed position,despite the presence of the opening spring 10.

When a user wants to grip the edge of a container, he or she positionsthe edge between the fixed member forming a gripper 3 and the grippingend 5 of the mobile member forming the gripper 4 in the open position,and makes the lever 7 pivot from its extended position into itsretracted position. Rotation of the lever 7 causes rotation of theconnecting rod 9 and translation of the mobile member forming a gripper4, the shaft 13 then crossing the equilibrium line of the toggle jointmechanism, so as to obtain a stable grip of the edge of the container.

The free movement of the shaft 13 in the slit 14 enables adjustment ofthe distance between the gripping end 5 of the mobile member forming agripper 4 in the closed position and the fixed member forming a gripper3 at the thickness of the edge of the container.

The range of the distances separating the gripping end of the mobilemember forming a gripper 4 in the closed position and the fixed memberforming a gripper 3 is significantly less than the movement amplitude ofthe shaft 13 in the slit 14 so that the shaft 13 can pass theequilibrium line to achieve a stable grip.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shaft 13 islocated close to the second end of the lever 7 opposite the first endclose to the rotation axis 8. The slit 14 is made close to the secondend of the connecting rod 9 opposite the first end close to the pivotaxis 12, the shaft 13 being acted upon by the toggle joint spring 15tending to move it towards the longitudinal end of the slit 14 that isclosest to the second end of the connecting rod 9.

Due to this particular arrangement of displacement means 6, the gripingdevice 1 can reliably grip the edges of the container, for which thethickness can vary within a relatively large range (between 0.5 and 3.5mm).

Moreover, the use of a coil spring inside the connecting rod 9 acting asa toggle joint spring 15 eliminates any risk of the toggle jointmechanism being damaged, although the range of container edgethicknesses that can be gripped is large.

Furthermore, in order to facilitate gripping of the gripping device 1,even when the lever 7 is in the extended position, the length of thelever 7 is shorter such that a user holding the gripping device 1 willhave his or her index finger and middle finger in contact with the lever7, and the ring finger and little finger in contact with the grippingbody. Consequently, the user can release the lever 7 from the grippingarea consisting of the index finger and the middle finger, while keepingthe ring finger and the little finger in position to hold the grippingbody 2. Typically, the length of the lever corresponds to the width ofthree fingers in contact with each other (or about 7 cm from therotation axis 8, or about 6 cm for the part of the lever pivotingoutside the gripping body 2).

Furthermore, the use of a shorter connecting rod 9 can give a lever 7with small movement amplitude, making it easier to hold the grippingdevice 1, even when the lever 7 is in the extended position.

Thus, the user does not need to change his or her grasp when the lever 7is moved from the extended position to the retracted position, and viceversa.

Advantageously, the lever 7 and the connecting rod 9 include verticalwalls arranged such that even when the lever 7 is in the extendedposition, the mechanism assembly is concealed and protected from anydirt accumulation.

According to this invention, the removable gripping device 1 comprisesactuation means 16 separate from the displacement means 6 and installedso as to be free to move in translation on the gripping body 2 along adirection approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of thegripping body 2.

The actuation means 16 are free to move between a rest position and anactuation position in which the actuation means 16 move the lever 7 fromits retracted position to its extended position.

Any return means such as a return spring 17 applying its force on thegripping body 2 and the actuation means 16 continuously tends to movethe actuation means 16 towards their rest position.

When they are in the rest position, the actuation means 16 are adaptedso as to leave the lever 7 in its retracted stable position (andtherefore the members forming the gripper 3, 4 in the closed position),and when they move from their rest position to their actuation position,the actuation means 16 are adapted to stop in contact with the lever 7and make it pivot until it goes past its unstable equilibrium position.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lever 7 comprises a bearing surface19, and the actuation means 16 comprise an element forming an inclinedplane 18 that is designed to stop in contact with the bearing surface 19when the lever 7 is in the retracted position and the actuation means 16are in the actuation position.

The inclined plane 18 and the bearing surface 19 are shaped such that,when the actuation means 16 move from their rest position to theiractuation position, the inclined plane 18 stops in contact with thebearing surface 19 and imposes a pivoting movement on lever 7 about therotation axis 8 towards its extended position. Pivoting of the lever 7imposed by the inclined plane is such that the equilibrium point of thetoggle joint mechanism is passed, in other words the shaft 13 crossesthe equilibrium line. Once the equilibrium has been crossed, the openingspring 10 tends to move the lever 7 towards its extended position andthe mobile member forming the gripper 4 towards its open position.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the actuation means 16 arecloser to the members forming gripper 3, 4 when they are in their restposition than when they are in the actuation position. Furthermore, theinclined plane 18 is arranged between the rotation axis 8 and thebearing surface 19 facing the rotation axis 8, along the longitudinaldirection of the gripping body 2.

The actuation means 16 also comprise an activation button 20 that can bemanipulated by the user and that projects from the surface of theremovable gripping device 1 on the side opposite the side to which thelever 7 is fixed. The mobile member forming a gripper 4 has a groove 21through which the activation button 20 is fixed to the inclined plane 18(the activation button 20 and the inclined plane 18 are located on eachside of the mobile member forming a gripper 4) such that the movement ofthe mobile device forming a gripper 4 are not hindered by the actuationmeans 16, and vice versa.

When the user wants to move the lever 7 from its retracted position toits extended position so as to release the container from the membersforming the gripper 3, 4, he or she moves the actuation means 16 intranslation as far as the actuation position, using the activationbutton 20.

The activation button 20 enables the user to maneuver the activationmeans 16 without needing to change grip, simply using the thumb.Furthermore, since the actuation means 16 are closer to the membersforming the gripper 3, 4 when they are in the rest position than whenthey are in the actuation position, the user needs to pull the controlbutton 20 towards him when he wants to manipulate the actuation means16, rather than push it towards the container, which prevents accidentalopening by pressing the control button.

Furthermore in the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lever 7comprises a hook 22 and the actuation means 16 comprise a tab 25 inwhich an opening 23 is formed. The hook 22 is adapted to engage in theopening 23 when the lever 7 is in the retracted position and theactuation means 16 are in the rest position. Consequently, the actuationmeans 16 also behave like locking means adapted to lock the lever 7 inthe retracted position.

The hook 22 is engaged in the opening 23 by click fitting: when thelever 7 is pivoted from its extended position to its retracted position,an upper surface 24 of the hook 22 stops in contact with the tab 25, andconsequently the actuation means 16 are moved in translation towardstheir actuation position as far as a release position in which the hook22 is at its opening 23. At this release position, the return spring 17translates an actuation means 16 in the direction from their restposition, forming the click fitting.

Therefore, the actuation means can lock the lever 7 in its retractedposition, which prevents the removable gripping device 1 from beingaccidentally opened due to a sudden manipulation, which would make itpossible for the shaft 13 to go beyond the equilibrium line.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inclined plane 18 isfixed to the tab 25 and the hook 22 is fixed to the bearing surface 19.The inclined plane 18, the bearing surface 19, the hook 22 and the tab25 are arranged such that the hook 22 is separated from the opening 23by translation of actuation means 16 towards their actuation positionbefore the inclined plane 18 comes into contact with the bearing surface19: the hook 22 is oriented in the direction opposite to the rotationaxis 8 and it is further from this rotation axis 8 than the bearingsurface 19. The tab 25 is at the same height as the hook 22 when thelever 7 is locked by the actuation means 16 and it is inclined such thatits face facing rotation axis 8 forms an obtuse angle with thelongitudinal direction of the gripping body 2.

Thus, when the user wants to move the lever 7 from its retractedposition to its extended position so as to release the container fromthe members forming the gripper 3, 4, he or she moves the actuationmeans 16 in translation as far as the actuation position, using theactivation button 20. During this translation, the unlocking means 16pass through their release position in which the hook 22 is no longerengaged in the opening 23. Consequently, the lever 7 is released beforethe inclined plane 18 stops in contact with the bearing surface 19, suchthat the lever 7 can pivot towards its retracted position and the mobilemember forming a gripper 4 can move into its open position.

Obviously, this invention is not limited to the embodiment described indetail above.

It would be possible to make a removable gripping device not includinglocking means, in which the transmission means are not a connecting rod.

It would also be possible that the displacement means are not designedto adjust the distance separating the two devices forming a gripper inthe closed position, to match the thickness of the gripped container.

It would also be possible to have a removable gripping device,comprising two members forming a gripper mounted on a gripping body, oneof the members forming a gripper free to move in translation withrespect to the gripping body along a direction approximately parallel tothe longitudinal direction of the gripping body, between an openposition and a closed position in which the members forming the gripperare adapted to grip an edge of the container, the device also comprisingdisplacement means adapted to displacing the members forming a gripperwith respect to each other, said displacement means including a leverinstalled free to move in rotation with respect to the gripping bodybetween an extended position and a retracted position in which themobile member forming a gripper is in its closed position, and atransmission means extended between the lever and the mobile memberforming a gripper and adapted to move the mobile member forming thegripper in translation when the lever is pivoted, characterized in thatthe lever is short (as described above, in other words such that thegripping body can be grasped behind the lever by at least the littlefinger and the ring finger), so that there is no need to change the gripdepending on whether the lever is in its extended position or in itsretracted position. Preferably, the transmission means (such as theconnecting rod) are hinged at the end of the lever opposite the end atwhich it is hinged to the gripping body. Obviously, this type ofgripping device could have any particular characteristics mentioned inthis application.

1-17. (canceled)
 18. A removable gripping device for a container,comprising: two members forming a gripper mounted on a gripping body inwhich one of the members forming a gripper is mobile and free to move intranslation with respect to the gripping body along a directionapproximately parallel to a longitudinal direction of the gripping bodybetween an open position and a closed position in which the membersforming the gripper are adapted to grip an edge of the container,displacement means for displacing the members forming the gripper withrespect to each other, said displacement means comprising a lever freeto move in rotation with respect to the gripping body between anextended position and a retracted position in which the mobile memberforming the gripper is in the closed position, and a transmission meansextending between the lever and the mobile member forming the gripperfor displacing the mobile member forming the gripper in translation whenthe lever is pivoted, and means for actuating extension of the lever;the actuating means being separate from the displacement means and beinginstalled free to translate on the gripping body along a directionapproximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the grippingbody between a rest position and an actuation position in which theactuating means make the lever move from the retracted position to theextended position, and the displacement means being shaped such that thelever is in a stable equilibrium position when in the retracted positionand when in the extended position, and the lever passing through anintermediate unstable equilibrium position when pivoting from one of thetwo stable equilibrium positions to the other.
 19. A removable grippingdevice according to claim 18, further comprising a return means forcontinuously applying a force on the actuating means tending to move theactuating means towards the rest position.
 20. A removable grippingdevice according claim 18, wherein the actuating means are closer to themembers forming the gripper when the actuating means are in the restposition than when the actuating means are in the actuation position.21. A removable gripping device according to claim 18, wherein theactuating means comprise an element forming an inclined plane that isdesigned to stop in contact with a bearing surface of the lever when theactuating means are in the actuation position and to impose a rotationmovement on lever from the retracted position until the lever passesthrough the unstable equilibrium position.
 22. A removable grippingdevice according claim 21, wherein the actuating means include anactivation button that can be manipulated manually to move the actuatingmeans and that projects from a surface of the gripping body grippingopposite a side to which the lever is fixed.
 23. A removable grippingdevice according to claim 22, wherein the mobile member forming thegripper has a groove through which the activation button (20) is fixedto the inclined plane.
 24. A removable gripping device according toclaim 18, wherein the actuating means in the rest position are designedto prevent any pivoting movement of the lever from the retractedposition to the unstable equilibrium position.
 25. A removable grippingdevice according to claim 24, wherein the actuating means cooperate withthe lever by click fitting to lock the lever in the retracted position.26. A removable gripping device according to claim 19, wherein the levercomprises a hook that is adapted to engage in an opening made in theactuating means when the lever is in the retracted position and theactuating means are in the rest position, and adapted to be disengagedfrom the opening by translation of the actuating means towards theactuation position before releasing the lever.
 27. A removable grippingdevice according to claim 26, wherein the hook comprises an uppersurface designed to entrain the actuating means in the direction of theactuation position when the lever pivots towards the retracted position,up to a position enabling click fitting of the hook in the opening. 28.A removable gripping device according to claim 18, wherein thedisplacement means are designed to adjust a distance between the twomembers forming the gripper in the closed position to match a thicknessof the gripped container.
 29. A removable gripping device according toclaim 28, further comprising a spring designed to act on the mobilemember so as to adjust the distance between the two members forming thegripper and the spring being housed in the transmission means.
 30. Aremovable gripping device according to claim 18, wherein thetransmission means are formed by a connecting rod that is installed freeto move in rotation with respect to the lever and with respect to themobile member forming the gripper.
 31. A removable gripping deviceaccording to claim 30, wherein the connecting rod is free to move inrotation with respect to the lever about a shaft that is located closeto an end of the lever opposite an end at which the lever is hinged tothe gripping body.
 32. A removable gripping device according to claim18, wherein a length of the lever corresponds to a width of threefingers in contact with each other.
 33. A removable gripping deviceaccording to claim 18, wherein lengths of the lever and the grippingbody are such that a user holding the gripping device in his or her handwill have his or her index finger and middle finger in contact with thelever and his or her ring finger and little finger in contact with thegripping body.